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email4walker

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  1. Like
    email4walker got a reaction from Baumrb in Installing HID lights on your Journey (step by step)   
    For low beams, you should need only one relay harness, cap, etc. Did you try changing bad side connector polarity? Sometimes the connector looks like it can be plugged in only on way, but it can be twisted and blugged in the other way as well. It will not work if it is plugged in the wrong way, which discribes/sounds like your problem. Try it and let us know. 
  2. Like
    email4walker got a reaction from Silvestre in Installing HID lights on your Journey (step by step)   
    There were some issues uploading the pictures. Sorry about that :rolleyes:
    Attention Michigan residents: I did ask a Michigan state trooper are these lights illegal. He said no, and said they help you see better. He basically said they are a good idea to have!
    Ok everyone, some of us had questions on how to install a HID headlight kit in a Dodge Journey. Everyone talks about it, but there is no actual write up (step by step) for our car. I decided to take on the challenge and install a kit myself. It is pretty much the same for every car, but this write up should help anyone with problems. Trust me, I did run into some weird problems. I will list problems and solutions at the end. Let’s get started:
    Read the directions that came with your kit and use this write up to fill in any blanks.
    The kit I went with was Lumenez 8000k kit (http://www.lumenez.com). This set is all digital. To be honest, I don’t think there is any real difference between digital ballast and analog ones except that they are smaller. I wanted the 6000k set, but there was a mix up and they sent me the 8000k one. I tried it and I like the 8000k better. There is a hint of blue (crystal type blue), but it is not a overbearing blue that you see on some of these teenager cars (I don’t like those blue headlights and I did not want that look at all). Also, the 8000k puts out 10%/15% less light than the 6000k. I think that is a good thing because in my test drive I did not blind any other drivers. The field of light was right in the sweet spot for my vision and not overbearing for other drivers.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905364/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905668/
    They are small. See one below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972138177/
    For the Dodge Journey you MUST use a relay harness. It will not work without it. (skip down a few Steps/pics to see a relay harness wiring diagram)
    Relay harness pic, see below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905570/
    First, we must hook up the relay harness to the battery. The battery is too hard to reach to do a direct hookup. So, we are hooking it up to the jumper connections. The jumper connection has thick wires and it does go directly to the battery. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972906074/
    The bolts/screws are thick, so you need to cut the relay battery connection rings in the middle so you can widen them and slip it over the screw. Sorry, no pic of the cut ring, only the completed connections. If you still want to use your battery jump cover, you will need to cut it so the wire can get out. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972906294/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972137501/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972137021/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905602/
    Here is a HID relay wiring diagram. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972972682/
    Here is a complete setup wiring diagram. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972204703/
    Installing the lights:
    My lights had extra wires that was not needed, so I removed them. You really don’t need that round rubber cover piece either, but I left that part on. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905960/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972972880/
    Install your lights (don’t touch them!). If you have big hands, your fuse box can be moved. There are two plastic clips on each side of the fuse box (four clips total). Unhook it, and that will give you a few more inches to get to the light bulb on the driver side. After that, find a place away from the engine, to place the ballast and igniters. You should have room on both sides of the fenders. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972138285/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972905914/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972136501/
    Now connect all your plugs. After you connect your lights and ballast, there will be a extra plug. This is for you to plug in ONE of your original light plugs to. That’s what controls you turning the lights on and off. After you plug everything up, test it and make sure it works. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972138233/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972906154/
    Remember the relay is not water proof (See pic above). I put a open zip lock bag over mine so it could stop most (not all) water and air could still circulate. (the relay does get pretty warm)
    After you are sure it works correctly (if not, read the problems and solutions at the end), strap the wires down starting with the passenger side first. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972136951/
    After you tie down everything, your done! Enjoy your lights:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972061509/
    Problem and solution time:
    Q. My lights flicker when you first turn them on and/or while they are on.
    (and the relay might be clicking a lot)
    A. You need to use a capacitor. Here is what you do:
    Here is the capacitor you need:
    http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...rentPage=search
    Remove the relay from the harness by simply pulling it off, don't worry about orientation, it only goes in one way. Install the capacitor as shown in the picture (see below). The stripe side of the capacitor is the negative. Install it just how I have it in the pictures. See below:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972972780/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972830368/
    All the other pics are mine, but here is some better pics I found on the internet:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972204735/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamaica_trip/3972204775/
    Q. I can turn on my headlights, but after I go for a drive, they won’t turn off!
    (also the relay is clicking like a tap dancer on drugs)
    A. I had a hard time with this problem, but the solution is easy. The plug that you use to connect your original light plug too, turn it around so the polarity is changed. It looks like the two plugs have a polarity lock so it only fits one way, but that is not true! Unplug it and plug it in the other way and whala, problem solved. (Remember to switch the polarity of the capacitor too!!!!)
  3. Like
    email4walker got a reaction from redboida in Installed subwoofers in the rear cargo area....   
    I installed two 10 inch subwoofer in the cargo area of my journey. They sound great. The speakers I choose (ROCKFORD FOSGATE R1S410) are made for sealed inclosures, and that works best for the cargo area which is sealed (no air circulation). I was suprised to see that the trunk cover is made up of different materials on the inside. The cool thing about the speakers being installed this way, you still have full use of your trunk space with little to no bass loss. For deeper/better bass response, I added speaker insulation (quilt batting works great). It cleans up the bass and you can add more or less to get the bass range you want to hear and feel. I took as many pics as I could.
    Update: I need to get a higher wattage amp because after doing all the math, the amp I bought is putting out 60 watt per channel (but it says 350 watts, why?) . The stock system is putting out around 60 watts also, so it is hard to tell what is the stock system and what is the subs. Once the new amp gets here, I will test it all again.
    Latest Update: I installed the new amp, and all I can say is WOW!!! Installing the speakers in the trunk is the best way to go. These things sound great. I included a picture of the new amp I bought in the slide show. It is pushing a true 200 watts bridged. I have the speakers wired in series, so each speaker is seeing/using 100 watts each.
    I wired it this way because for some reason with most amps, when wired as regular two channel setup, you can't use the LFE (Low-frequency effect) fuction.
    Anyway, they sounds great. If you need your trunk space but want some extra thump in the trunk, install your speakers this way. Enjoy!

  4. Like
    email4walker got a reaction from crazybear1 in My journey with new 18" rims......   
    Rims for a Journey are a little hard to find because of the new bolt pattern. In my case, I had to order them myself because no tire/rim stores had anything that would fit. The right offset was the thing I had a hard time finding. These are not chrome, only polished. the good thing about ordering them myself is that no one else has them, yet.



  5. Like
    email4walker got a reaction from Richo Eng in Dodge Journey Headlight Relay   
    A lot of us thought about that too, but the main question is will the new bulb melt/damage the lens. None of us tried it because of that. Most of us just went with HIDs instead. HIDs is the best way to go because after you buy everything you need for higher wattage bulbs, you could have just bought a set of HIDs and they will last for the life of the car.
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